If you thought Parks on the Air (POTA) was the only portable operation event in town, meet BOTA.

Beaches on the Air promotes ham radio portable operation from beaches. BOTA has awards for activators (those who operate at the beaches) and chasers (those who contact them). Radio amateurs can participate from any beach, country, or region around the world. The program brings together thousands of hams from six continents, and new ones are joining every day.

BOTA now lists more than 30,000 beaches and they’re constantly adding new beaches as they become active. You may activate the same beach as many times as you like, gaining additional points each time. There are no restrictions on how you travel to the activation location or the power source you use for your station. BOTA invites you to submit your beach activation images and videos.

Besides promoting fun amateur radio practices, the program offers other benefits as well. It encourages participants to get out of their shacks, do mild exercise, increase their vitamin D levels, and work on their tans. It’s also relaxing to sit on the beach and sip your favorite beverage. Kick back, chill, and leisurely log those contacts. Don’t forget to tell everyone what a wonderful time you’re having during your QSOs.

Beach Operation

Conditions at the beach are quite different from POTA, IOTA, SOTA, and other ‘OTA activations. Be aware of tide schedules, high winds, and changes in weather. Locate yourself where you won’t have to constantly move away from an incoming high tide.

You’ll likely be inclined to bring more things: beach chairs, umbrellas, coolers, and other items. After all, it’s also a trip to the beach. Be realistic about what you can comfortably carry—sometimes it’s a long walk.

Five-gallon utility buckets are great for carrying coax, antenna parts, tools, and other supplies. After you’ve emptied it, the bucket can be flipped over and used as a stand for the radio. A pack seat will also fit in the bucket and give you a place to sit or set up additional equipment. Tote bags or backpacks will help keep your radios protected.

Securing your antenna properly is important. Most operators prefer a lightweight telescoping pole at the beach, like those from DX Commander or SOTAbeams, to hold a 1/4 wave of wire. These poles have a minimal wind load and those <31 feet will generally not need guys. To make them freestanding, you’ll need a sand spike—a tube for holding fishing rods or beach umbrella holder that screws into the sand. Be sure the bottom of the pole will fit inside before you invest in one.

The beach’s biggest draw for hams is the “saltwater amplifier,” nature’s reflector for your signals. Forget burying a batch of radials in the sand because you only need one. Run it toward the water at the edge of the waves or tie a fishing weight to the end and give it a toss into the waves. Add a quarter-wave wire vertical and you’re good to go. Using the saltwater ocean as counterpoise can give you up to a 10 dB gain. A 10W QRP signal becomes a 100W signal with a very simple antenna system—really awesome!

Getting Started with BOTA

Interested? First, create an account at BeachesontheAir.com. While you’re waiting for your registration to be processed, search for activators listed on the website. Listen to a few QSOs, then call when they’re on the air. The activating station will provide you with a code during the exchange.

After you receive the code over the air from the activator, sign into the BOTA site. Under the user menu, select “Add chaser report redeem code.” Enter the code. If you have just made the QSO, click yes and add the frequency and mode so a spot is placed on the BOTA home page.

You can also keep a log and enter it all later. You have one month to enter the code. If for some reason you have forgotten the code, you can enter the activator’s call sign and then choose the activation site. Activators and chasers are not required to submit logs.

When you’re ready, plan to become an activator. You’ll go to the BOTA website and choose “Announce activation, Generate code.” Search for your beach and complete the information required. Once saved, the Admin will review the beach. If there are no issues, it will be added to the system.

There’s also a Beaches on the Air Facebook group where you can find additional information.

BOTA Operation Procedures

Here’s a basic summary of the definitions, rules, and procedures:

Beach Activation Boundary: Defined as the area between the water and the road that runs parallel to the beach. This usually includes beach car parks and may include grassed areas, paths, etc. Keep in mind the program is “Beaches on the Air,” not “Across the road from a beach on the air.”

• Setup Location: Activators can set up a portable station or activate from a vehicle. Activators should abide by local laws regarding the setup of a portable station and obey any directives given by local authorities regarding station setup. Activators need to be aware of other beach users around them and always make sure that their setup is safe for themselves and others.
• Operating Frequencies and Modes: Any amateur radio frequency can be used and all modes are permitted where the activation code can be clearly transmitted. Repeater contacts don’t count.
• Multi-Person Activations: When two or more stations are activating from the same beach at the same time, all activators need to individually set up their information on the system and use their individual activation code over the air with their chasers. Each activator should take their own photo of the activation site and later upload it. There is no club/team scoring.
• Repeat Activations: It is possible to activate two or more different beaches on the same day using different codes, but you must physically move your entire setup from one activation to the other. There’s a minimum one-hour break between the end of an activation and the start of a different one on a different beach.

The post Getting Started with BOTA, Beaches on the Air appeared first on OnAllBands.

Whether you enjoy portable ops during Field Day, POTA, or SOTA, or just want a space-saving efficient way to get on the 40 to 10 meter bands, the high-inductance Recon 40 HF coil from REZ Antenna Systems is a great addition to your 17-foot HF vertical antenna.

Though the Recon 40 works great with the heavy-duty telescoping whip from REZ Antenna, you can use it with pretty much any 17-foot whip with a 3/8-24 stud mount.

In the video below, DX Engineering technical support specialist Michael Murphy, KI8R, gives you an in-depth look at this versatile HF coil and explains how its fast, easy HF band change capabilities make it a great choice for your amateur radio station.

Check out DXEngineering.com for the full lineup of gear from REZ Antenna Systems, including the Ranger 80 (80-10M) Portable Antenna System featuring HF coil assembly, heavy-duty military whip, radial kit, ground spike or aluminum tripod mount, and MOLLE backpack in your choice of five colors.

The post Video: REZ Antenna’s Recon 40 High Performance HF Antenna Coil—Perfect for 40-10M Portable Ham Operations appeared first on OnAllBands.

When starting something new, like Parks on the Air (POTA), one of the first hurdles to get over is assembling the right equipment. Let’s face it, it’s easy to fall into a rabbit hole when exploring a new aspect of the Ham radio hobby—and that becomes an excuse to buy more gear.

What can happen is you wind up with boxes of stuff that you put in the back of your Jeep and transport to your next adventure. But when you get to your operating destination and start setting up, you find 175% more stuff than you need and 30% of stuff you need but don’t have. 

DX Engineering is committed to making sure you have all the equipment you need without buying all the items you don’t. We started with our DX Engineering Go Box Kits, featuring either Icom (IC-7300 and ID-5100A) or Yaesu (FT-7100 AESS and FTM-500DR) transceivers plus equipment case, rack shelving, antenna tuner, mobile mounts, DC power panel, and other accessories. 

Now we are excited to bring you four different DX Engineering HF+50 MHz POTA Kits—a collection of gear perfect for POTA, SOTA, or whatever other portable OTA event or EMCOMM activity you have in mind.

By ordering these as complete DIY packages, you’ll be able to quickly assemble them according to your likes, charge the battery, and get on the air. You will have every component, jumper wire, and adapter you need to assemble it, even if you are brand spanking new to the hobby. 

DX Engineering offers a POTA QRP kit featuring the Icom IC-705 for the minimalist who enjoys the challenge of making contacts on low power. Next, there’s a POTA kit centered around the Yaesu FT-891. It is still a lightweight minimalist approach but gives you a full 100W. Then we have our “full sized” POTA kits featuring the Icom IC-7300 or the Yaesu FT-710- FIELD transceivers. Click on the links below for details about each POTA package and to check if items are currently in stock:

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DXE-POTA-1 with Yaesu FT-891 Transceiver

In addition to the transceiver, the kit includes a Bioenno Power LiFePO4 12 VDC, 20 Ah, 480W battery; AC to DC battery charger; 40W foldable solar panel; and solar charge controller. Other contents include DX Engineering RG-8X PL-259 low-loss 50-ohm cable assemblies, lengths of 15 and 50 feet; mAT TUNER 1.8 to 54 MHz automatic antenna tuner; Chelegance JPC-12 portable HF vertical antenna, 40-6M; RigExpert STICK-230 antenna analyzer, 100 kHz-230 MHz; REZ Antenna Systems backpack; and West Mountain Radio DC power cables.

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DXE-POTA-2 with Icom IC-705 Transceiver

In addition to the transceiver, the kit includes a Bioenno Power LiFePO4 12 VDC, 4.5 Ah, 108W battery; 40W foldable solar panel; and solar charge controller. Other contents include Consolidated Wire RG174U cable assembly with BNC male connectors, 20 feet; Chameleon lightweight 4010 end-fed sloper, 40-10M; DX Engineering coaxial RF connector adapters; Icom AH-705 compact 1.8-50 MHz automatic antenna tuner; Icom IC-705 portable transceiver backpack; and West Mountain Radio DC power cables.

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DXE-POTA-3 with Icom IC-7300 Transceiver

In addition to the transceiver, the kit includes a Bioenno Power LiFePO4 12 VDC, 20 Ah, 480W battery; AC to DC battery charger; 60W foldable solar panel; and solar charge controller. Other contents include DX Engineering RG-8X PL-259 low-loss 50-ohm cable assembly, 25 feet; REZ Ranger 80 Antenna System with tripod mount; and West Mountain Radio DC power cables.

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DXE-POTA-4 with Yaesu FT-710-FIELD Transceiver

In addition to the transceiver, the kit includes a Bioenno Power LiFePO4 12 VDC, 20 Ah, 480W battery; AC to DC battery charger; 60W foldable solar panel; and solar charge controller. Other contents include DX Engineering RG-8X PL-259 low-loss 50-ohm cable assembly, 15 feet; mAT TUNER 1.8 to 54 MHz automatic antenna tuner; Chameleon MPAS Lite modular portable antenna system with backpack, 160-6M; Yaesu FH-2 remote control keypad; and West Mountain Radio DC power cables.

What if You Already Have Some of the Pieces You Need to Go Portable?

Just let your DX Engineering rep know which components from the POTA kits you need and we’ll customize your order—easy peasy. Or maybe your creative juices start flowing and you want to upgrade some items? We can make those changes for you as well. The concept behind DX Engineering Go Box and POTA kits is to provide hams with a framework from which to model your personalized kit.

The post DX Engineering Introduces Complete POTA/EMCOMM Kits appeared first on OnAllBands.

Every Field Day setup is different, depending on location, number of people, access to trees, number of stations operating, and more. Chances are you’ve participated before and have a basic checklist of items you’ll need. It probably includes items like radios, antennas, generators, tables, chairs, shelter, food, and other necessities.

But sometimes you get that feeling that you left something behind. You’re not sure what it is, but you’ll find out soon enough, like when you discover the extension cord isn’t long enough or try to sit down and realize you left the folding chair at home.

Forehead slap, followed by “How could I forget that!”

We can’t prevent these awkward moments, but there are some items we’d suggest to make your Field Day experience more productive and comfortable.

Let There Be Light

It’s nighttime and the glow from your transceiver’s dial isn’t quite enough to see your iambic keyer or the coffee cup you’re about to knock over. If you’ve got some power to spare from your generator, a gooseneck desk lamp will be a big help. If not, then a compact emergency lantern will last the entire Field Day (and then some) on a handful of batteries.

Need to do cable repair in the dark or find your way to the porta-john? A basic handheld flashlight will guide the way.

Comfort First

The operator can only tolerate what the seat will endure. The folding chair-in-a-bag is great for relaxing but awkward for serious operating. Our club president brings a large, comfy desk chair—fortunately, he has a truck to haul it to the FD site. However, a sturdy folding chair with upholstered seat and back will easily fit in most cars and provide reasonable comfort. If it’s a basic metal model, consider adding a memory foam cushion. What the heck, bring a foam cushion anyway.

Fold-in-half resin tables are compact and easy to carry. Most are also height-adjustable for a comfortable working area.

They also stand up to spilled coffee.

Keep Cool

Bring a fan. Small desk fans are a start, but large and quiet are better—think box fans. If you live in a warm, dry climate, misting fans can lower ambient air temperature up to 25 degrees F.

Tool Kits

Everyone has their own vision of the perfect tool kit. Most include socket sets, screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, hammers, battery powered drills, long tape measures, spare hardware, and clamps.

There are other tools worth considering. One that tops our list is Vise-Grips. They can be used to hold small parts together temporarily and to clamp something quickly and securely in place. They’re also a great tool for ground rod or rebar stake extraction. Lock them in place near the top and twist the rod out.

A mini sledge is a close second. A two- to three-pound version is usually ideal for most jobs and better than a standard claw hammer for driving stakes and ground rods.

Square Peg, Round Hole

Our Field Day crew has tried to standardize audio, power, and RF connectors over the last few years. For the most part, it has worked. But once in a while we have to deal with an odd connection of some kind, replace worn connectors, or extend coax runs. Keep male and female versions of the coax adapters—UHF to N, BNC, or SMA and a good supply of SO-239 barrel connectors (below) for chronic feedline shortages. For audio adapters, 1/4 to 1/8 inch, 1/8 to 1/4 inch, and the mono/stereo versions are a good start.

Anderson Powerpoles offer a standard for 13.8 VDC connections—one plug fits all and prevents accidental polarity reversals. Four-way splitters are handy for multiple station items like radios, tuners, and keyers.

Electronic Repair & Diagnosis

Antenna analyzers are a must for tuning antennas and checking feedline. The RigExpert STICK-230 (below) fits easily in a pocket and has a long battery life.

Digital multimeters can help with continuity checks, voltage/amperage readings, and battery solar cell and power supply diagnosis. Include a comprehensive tool kit with everything you might need for quick fixes: soldering iron and solder, electrical tape, wire cutters and strippers, crimp tools, screwdrivers, coax prep tools, and spare PL-259 connectors.

Rebar, Zip Ties & Gaffer Tape

You can’t have enough stakes. But when shopping the big box stores, I found plastic, wood, and not-so-rugged metal versions. The more durable rebar pieces cut into one-, two-, or four-foot sections appear to be a sturdier choice for guy lines. Keep them driven close to the ground or mark them clearly so as not to be a hazard.

You can use two- or four-foot rebar to help keep your tent pole or light telescoping masts from sliding around while you do your guying setup. Drill a 5/8-inch hole in the center of a small scrap of plywood or 2 x 6 stud, then place it on the ground to protect the pole. Drive the rebar into the ground through the hole, leaving about a foot or so protruding. Slide the mast over the rebar. You may want to protect fiberglass poles by inserting a slightly smaller diameter piece of PVC inside the bottom of the mast.

Zip ties? They’re probably one of the handiest inventions ever made. The obvious use is for bundling cable and rolling it up neatly for next year’s Field Day. Break a zipper-pull on your backpack or a shoelace—replace it with a zip tie loop. Use multicolor zip tie kits to color code wires. Flag cable ties let you easily identify or mark items.

Leave your duct tape at home. Sure, it will work, but it leaves a sticky residue when it’s removed or relocated. Gaffer tape leaves little to no residue when removed. With gaffer tape, you can secure cords and gear, mark spots, label and mark gear, etc., and then remove the tape without mucking up your stuff.

Backup Equipment

Test it before Field Day and it will work. Use it during Field Day and it might fail. Murphy’s law will prevail: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time.”

Be prepared to replace an entire station or parts of it: power supply, radio, microphone, headphone, tuner, patch cables, etc. Having these available for quick replacement will ensure your downtime will be minimal. The same applies to antennas—have some pre-built substitutes and coaxial feedline ready as replacements.

DOA laptop computer? It’s always a good idea to have a backup on hand, as well as chargers and spare batteries for all your computers.

Do you have a backup generator like the A-iPower 2,000W SUA2000I portable inverter model available? You should.

Odds & Ends

Here’s a list of miscellaneous items that you might also find useful:

• Plastic wrap for waterproofing connections
• Magnet to retrieve parts dropped in the grass
• Magnifying glass
• Common mode chokes for antennas
• Grill lighter to seal ends of paracord
• An RF noise filter for generators
• Tags or address labels on everything you bring so you get them back 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the items you might need. Hopefully, we’ve suggested some things you can use. To paraphrase a line from a Rolling Stones song, “You don’t always bring what you want. But if you try sometimes, well, you might find, you’ll bring what you need.”

The post Field Day: Things You’ll Need & Wished You’d Brought appeared first on OnAllBands.

With ARRL Field Day 2024 rapidly approaching, OnAllBands will be looking at a few more items to consider loading in the trunk before heading out to your operating location on June 22-23. These Field-Day-friendly devices and apparel (and more than 30,000 other amateur radio products) can be easily ordered at DXEngineering.com and shipped to you in plenty of time for the big weekend.

Need help figuring out exactly what you need? The Elmers at DX Engineering—with more than 1,000-plus years of amateur radio experience and a slew of Field Days under their belts—will make sure you’re selecting the right gear for your needs and budget.

Before we get into today’s featured products, check out these Field Day suggestions for coaxial cables, solar panels and LiFePO4 batteries, portable HF antennas, and antenna analyzers.

Tool Kits

Nothing says emergency communications preparedness (the original purpose of Field Day, after all) more than having the proper tools handy when setting up your stations or when things don’t go exactly as planned. Visit DXEngineering.com for the full lineup of ham radio tools and tool kits, including:

• Ultra-Grip 2 Crimp Connector Hand Tool Kit (DXE-UT-KIT-CRMP2, below)
• Complete Kit of Coaxial Cable Prep Tools for Crimp Connectors (DXE-UT-KIT-CC1)
• Basic (DXE-UT-KIT3) and Complete (DXE-UT-KIT4) Coaxial Cable Tool Kits for prepping and installing soldered connectors
• F-Connector Coax Cable Tool Kit (DXE-UT-KITF) for RG-6U dual-shield/quad shield and RG6 size cable

What do hams say about the Ultra-Grip 2 Crimp Connector Hand Tool Kit?

Five Stars: “This is an outstanding tool. If you are thinking about going to crimp-on connectors, this is what you need to put on just about anything that can be crimped. I use it for my coax as well as my power poles. It is a solid tool and everything you need is included in the box. Dies can be switched in just a few minutes and all the dies you will ever need are included. Highly recommended.”

Wilburn, DX Engineering Customer

DX Engineering cable stripping/cutting tools for crimp connectors can be purchased separately or together in the DXE-UT-KIT-CC1. The simple-to-use devices allow you to insert the coax into one end, close the cutter and twist to cut to the correct measurement. Then insert the coax in the other end of the cutter, close it and withdraw to produce a slit for easy removal of the cut portions. The model below strips 8X size cables:

Hinged cable grippers, strippers for 50-ohm cable (DXE-UT-8213, DXE-UT-808X, DXE-UT-8213LR, below), gripper/stripper combos, and crimper tool and dies are also sold separately.

Band Pass Filters

For issues with wideband n0ise from transmitters in multi-station Field Day setups, band pass filters can make a major difference. DX Engineering carries VA6AM 150W PEP HF Band Pass Filters for 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10M. These high-quality, multi-stage inline passive band pass filters are specifically designed to limit the transmitting and receiving RF passband to a single amateur band.

Headset & Foot Switch Packages

Make it easy on yourself by adding a quality headset and foot switch in one purchase. Combos come with DX Engineering’s rugged and budget-friendly plastic foot switch (DXE-FS-001) or cast metal model (DXE-FS-002). The foot switches are paired with Heil Pro Set Elite Headsets or Pro 7 Headsets.

Just looking for a foot switch to add to your Field Day setup? DX Engineering offers three models sold separately here. Below is the extra-wide super-duty cast metal foot switch (DXE-FS-003).

What do hams say about the DXE-FS-003 Foot Switch?

Five Stars: “Not a Toy! I’m impressed with the quality of the DXE-FS-003 Foot Switch. I spent decades working in public safety 911 dispatch centers, and this is comparable to the foot switches used in that service that get stomped on 24/7/365, year after year. As the title to my review says, it’s not a toy. It’s solid, heavy, and doesn’t slide around or mar the polished wood floor it sits on. I would expect years of service under the feet of any club-footed ham. This is the real thing, not a cheap imitation.”

Mel, DX Engineering Customer

Headsets

Heil Sound offers a range of headsets perfect for hours of comfortable, fatigue-free Field Day operating. Models include:

• Pro 7 Headsets have passive noise-canceling ability that blocks out background noise, audio balance control, a phase reversal switch for digging out weak signals, and adjustable mic boom.
• Pro Set Elite Headsets deliver bright, articulate audio with acoustically-tuned chambers that facilitate a high rejection of outside noise.
• Lightweight and comfortable Pro Set 6 Headsets use Heil’s HC 6 wide-response mic element so you can take advantage of the microphone EQ of your modern transceiver.
• Heil’s lightweight BM-17 Emergency Communication Headsets come with a swivel-mounted boom that makes easy work of moving the microphone to the desired position. They feature extremely sensitive speakers that don’t require much AF drive from the transceiver; a frequency response of 200Hz-5kHz; and low distortion.

You’ll find all the Heil headset and microphone adapter cables you need at DXEngineering.com. Also available is the INRAD W1 Headset and the 4O3A NC-1 Noise Canceling Bluetooth Boom Mic Headset.

Telescopic Masts

DX Engineering’s Premier Telescoping Carbon Fiber Masts make a great choice as a temporary antenna support on Field Day. Available in four versions (24-, 33-, and 49-foot, and heavy-duty 33-foot), these masts collapse down to a compact size for easy portability. They are lighter than aluminum and fiberglass, yet stiffer than steel of the same thickness. 

Also available are DX Engineering Complete Telescoping Fiberglass Tubing and Cam Lock Clamp Kits. Made for easy deployment and transport, the kits feature high-quality pultruded fiberglass tubing with nominal 0.120-inch wall thicknesses for strength, durability, and smooth telescoping. Depending on the kit, tubing is collapsible to either 4 feet or 7.5 feet for easy storage and convenient loading in a vehicle. 

What do hams say about the Complete Telescoping Fiberglass Tubing and Cam Lock Clamp Kits?

Five Stars: “The fit, finish and quality of this mast is very good. Putting together the mast with the included cam lock clamps was very easy…everything just fit well. The provided instructions were spot on. This mast is an awesome addition to my RV radio expeditions.”

Leonard, DX Engineering Customer

Visit DXEngineering.com for more portable mast options, including WiMo Telescoping Masts from 13 to 52 feet tall. 

Looking Good!

If you want to make a fashion statement on Field Day, you’ll find an excellent selection of DX Engineering T-shirts; polo shirts; hats, including the new camo-style ball cap below; and more at DXEngineering.com.

Here’s a quick list of a few more items you’ll want to consider crossing off your Field Day checklist, with convenient links to DXEngineering.com:

• Power Supplies
• Portable Generators
• TransWorld Antenna Packages
• Code Keys and Paddles
• Transceivers
• Guy Line Rope
• Wattmeters
• High-Visibility Antenna Wire (below)

The post Field Day Gear Series Part 5: Tool Kits, Foot Switches, Headsets, Portable Masts & More appeared first on OnAllBands.

If you’re looking for proven, highly transportable, and easy-to-deploy options for getting on the air during the 2024 ARRL Field Day (June 22-23), you can’t go wrong with any number of portable HF antennas available at DXEngineering.com. This article represents just a sampling of what you’ll find online.

Let’s begin our survey of Field Day antenna options with the amateur radio pros at Chelegance, who offer several excellent choices for POTA, SOTA, Field Day, and other outdoor activations:

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JPC-12 Portable HF Vertical Antenna

The JPC-12 (40-6M) is built for easy assembly and excellent performance. You receive a special antenna base with SO-239, ground stake, counterpoise wire set, manual tuning multiband coil, heavy-duty aluminum tubes with threaded studs, stainless telescopic whip, and carrying bag.

With a manually tuned center-mount coil and whip adjustments, expect good results from 7 MHz and up. It handles up to 100W and can be quickly put together to connect with a user-supplied coax for use on the go.

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JPC-7 Portable HF Dipole Antenna

This 100W antenna covering 40 through 6 meters includes special antenna base, a 1:1 choke balun with SO-239 and connection leads, rotating arm bracket kit, brass connector, tripod adapter, manual tuning multiband coils, heavy-duty aluminum arms, and two 98.4-inch stainless telescopic whips.

The dipole kit comes packed into the provided 14.5″ x 9″ carrying bag but extends out to over 21.5 feet overall. Requires user-supplied tripod/mast and coaxial cable for portable use.

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MC-750 Portable HF Vertical Antenna

Covering 40 through 6 meters and handling up to 100W, this no-tools-required antenna system is easy to set up and disassemble. Its antenna base features a built-in ground spike; female SO-239 connector; and jacks for up to four preassembled, 11.48-foot counterpoise radials (included). The antenna functions as a quarter-wave vertical ground plane antenna for the 14-50 MHz frequency range while using the included 17-foot telescoping whip.

Also included is a loading coil for operating in the 7 MHz/40M band.

The kit comes with a 1.64-foot extension, cable winder, and carrying bag. Tripod for the MC-750 and 80M tuning coil available separately.

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DX Engineering Multiband Off-Center Fed (OCF) Dipole Antenna Kit

This wire dipole kit offers the benefit of HF multiband operation—an unusually useful result of feeding two different lengths of wire with a 4:1 balun—as compared to a single-band resonant dipole with equal length wire legs. Low SWR band coverage is typically achieved with a transceiver’s internal antenna tuner. For legal limit 1.5kW SSB and CW power handling, the cost of OCF multiband operation is the requirement of a capable external tuner.

This rugged wire antenna kit includes two lengths of premium 14-gauge relaxed PVC antenna wire with soldered ring terminal for connection to the balun; one DXE-MC20-C4-1 Maxi-Core® 4:1 Balun; the patented high-strength antenna center insulator DXE-WA-BMB Balun Mounting Bracket and End Insulators; stainless steel hardware; and printed instructions.

User trims the provided 48-foot and 113-foot lengths of wire to achieve the desired band coverage (80-10M or 40-10M). Add rope and supports, such as a DX Engineering Premier Telescoping Carbon Fiber Mast, all available at DXEngineering.com.

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DX Engineering EZ-BUILD® UWA Center-T and End Insulator Kit

Not sure what kind of antenna you want for Field Day? Here’s an easy solution. This kit has the pieces you need to create a range of wire antennas, including single-band, multiband, multi-frequency, folded dipole, doublet and inverted-V, OFC, Windom, Zepp, long wires, rhombic, V-beam, or loop antennas. There’s no need for looping, wrapping, or soldering, so adjusting wire lengths in the field is fast and simple.

Designed for building wire antennas for high-power operations, this model mounts to any DX Engineering balun for a balanced and isolated wire antenna, or this insulator kit may be used directly with DX Engineering 300-Ohm Ladder Line for a non-resonant multiband dipole. The kit includes a center-T insulator; two end insulators; two stainless steel wire connection bolts, nuts, and washers; six crimp ring terminals for antenna and ladder line wire connections; and additional stainless steel hardware for mounting a DX Engineering balun.

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DX Commander Expedition Portable HF Multiband Vertical Antenna

The Expedition model (36.75 feet, 2.13 feet collapsed) covers 40-6M and comes with sturdy fiberglass pole, alloy plates, spreader plates, stay-up kit, shock-cord, DX10 wire, hardware, and more. The antenna features efficient quarter-wave vertical performance and low SWR on every band of operation without the need for traps, coils, or antenna tuners. The antenna is rated at 1,500W SSB/CW and 400W for FT8 and other digital modes.

The new 2024 Expedition version comes with speed slots, screw base, and quick-release elements for even faster deployment and teardown.

Five Stars: “I gave mine a proper workout recently for Winter Field Day and was very pleased with the performance using 20 radials (I made over 70 digital contacts using 5W). Wide bandwidth easily covers all designed bands well under 2:1 SWR. Very lightweight and portable, it took me about 20 minutes to set up (mainly uncoiling wire and organizing guy lines). Materials provided are high quality and the entire antenna is modular, so if one thing breaks you can just replace what you need. The wire is very easy to work with and is perfect for radials (it’s like a wet noodle). I look forward to using it for Summer Field Day in a few months and during other portable ops. Overall, a very clever design for an easy to set up, portable, multiband 1/4-wave vertical antenna.”

Find all DX Commander HF Multiband Vertical Antennas and Accessories at DX Engineering, the exclusive North American distributor of DX Commander products.

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DX Engineering Multiband Dipole Antenna Kits

Ideal for easy setup on Field Day, these rugged yet lightweight 2,500W power rated antennas are usable to 30 MHz with a tuner balun (available separately). They feature strong and flexible 14 AWG stranded-copper, relaxed PVC-jacketed elements; 18 AWG 300-ohm ladder feedline; center-T support; and end mount brackets. Choose from three models:

• DXE-WA-070 – Antenna, 70-foot long for 40M and Up
• DXE-WA-135 – Antenna, 135-foot long for 80M and Up
• DXE-WA-260 – Antenna, 260-foot long for 160M and Up

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REZ Ranger 80 HF Portable Antenna System

The Ranger 80 kit comes with an adjustable, rugged base-load tuning coil that allows for tuning from 80-15M with the included seven-section tapered military whip made from brass and stainless steel (9.3 feet extended, 17 inches collapsed). Operation on 12M and 10M requires the use of an optional telescoping whip (sold separately) in place of the included whip.

The unique manual-tuning sliding coil collar features a large contact area for worry-free power handling (200W SSB, 100W digital at 50% duty cycle). The heavy-duty coil base comes with a REZ Radial Puck with eight 4mm holes.

The kit also includes four 33-foot 18-gauge radials terminated with 4mm banana plugs for quick connection to the puck. The Ranger 80 and additional gear fit nicely in the provided laser-cut, water-resistant MOLLE backpack (your choice of five colors). Kits either include 17-inch ground spike mount or aluminum tripod mount.

Read an excellent review of the Ranger 80 from Mark, K8MSH, here.

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Chameleon MPAS 2.0 Portable HF Backpack Antenna System

This system covers HF and 6M and comes with either the Hybrid-Micro (100W SSB/50W CW) or Hybrid-Mini (500W SSB/250W CW) matching unit; portable base; 113-inch collapsible whip antenna; 105.5-inch antenna extension; 50 feet of coax with RFI choke; in-ground antenna mount; military-style olive green backpack; stainless steel hardware; and 75 feet of antenna wire and 25 feet of counterpoise wire to support a range of deployment configurations, including vertical, horizontal, sloper, inverted-V, inverted-L, NVIS, balcony, stationary vehicle, and man-pack. Also available are MPAS Lite models.

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Find many more antenna options at DX Engineering.com from leading brands, including Par EndFedz, Kelemen, Alpha Delta, Icom, Buckmaster, Bushcomm, more Chameleon portable antennas, SOTAbeams, TW Antennas, plus other DX Engineering branded antenna choices and accessories.

The post Field Day Gear Series Part 3: Portable HF Antennas appeared first on OnAllBands.

Tom K4SWL introduces the new Elecraft KH1 HF QRP portable handheld transceiver during a live POTA activation.